Locations in Baltimore, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Washington will close June 16, ESPN said Wednesday. The cable sports network is controlled by Disney.

ESPN Zone is a sports-themed restaurant chain started 12 years ago by Disney. It will stay open in Los Angeles and Anaheim, Calif., where the restaurants are run by Anschutz Entertainment Group and Zone Enterprises, ESPN said.

Photo

The 50,000-square-foot location in Times Square was the biggest restaurant of the seven in the chain. It closes on June 16.Credit
Mario Tama/Getty Images

“This was a very difficult decision to make” Rick Alessandri, senior vice president at the cable sports network, said in an interview. “But it was the right decision to make.”

Each restaurant was split into three sections, according to Disney regulatory filings: a “studio grill” for dining, a “screening room” for watching ESPN sports coverage and a “sports arena” for playing interactive games.

The restaurants averaged about 30,000 square feet, large by industry standards, Mr. Alessandri said. The 50,000-square-foot location in Times Square was the biggest, and the restaurant in Baltimore was the chain’s first, he said. Disney is opening a retail store in Times Square.

ESPN would not release revenue or other financial information about the chain.

Shares of Disney, based in Burbank, Calif., fell 21 cents, to $32.94.

A version of this article appears in print on June 10, 2010, on Page B3 of the New York edition with the headline: Disney Says It Will Close 5 ESPN Zone Restaurants. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe